Ann’s Office Outfit Makeover: Carrie Moore

I barely know this woman but I understand she used to play sax at Circus World, then she lived in England for a bunch of years, and now she dresses superclassy for her day job in Waseca. My love for all the possible backstories that brought Carrie Moore from Baraboo to here are entirely enough to qualify me to give her a makeover.

Also, Carrie, I saved the ticket from your local acting debut. Not in a stalker-ish way, although I really liked the performance.

(Seriously you guys, have you ever seen the role of a cranky child played by the mother of an actual small child? It’s funny and yet it transcends “funny” and gets at some dark cathartic stuff. Carrie’s wailing never stopped but it also never got ironic. It just, went, on. With urgency and endurance and anguish and stuck-ness and delight. Which is a really nice way to announce your arrival in town.)

I saved the ticket because needed the documentation for taxes.

I’m showing you this, Carrie, in case you have any trepidation about living in a new place trying to build a network and figure out where you want to take your art next, like if you want to keep acting, or reunite with the sax while your kid is napping (might not work), or whatever. I was nervous about exactly that kind of thing when we moved here without knowing anybody. And then a few years later, here I am itemizing deductions to offset my band’s taxable income. You know what I’m saying? It works out. I hope that’s as inspiring as I mean for it to be. Like I said, I don’t know you well, but the poise with which you wear your Chanel-like getup tells me you have an appreciation for business acumen or for people who dress like they have some. A few additional tips, or things that look like tips:

– You already know about Rural American Contemporary Art and that’s good. Please keep coming to RACA events. They’re the world headquarters of people doing art for art’s sake, and often day jobs as well, and apologizing for neither. Also, good parties.

– The Small Business Development Center can fill in anything I’ve failed to explain here with the tax stuff, should you you want think more about art for income. The client roster is pretty public, though, so be aware that your arty RACA friends might know you’re dabbling in fiscal conservatism. But then again, a lot of us are clients. So just, you know, discretion. Right? It’s a small town.

– In addition to keeping all your receipts for tax purposes, keep documenting the important stuff like your recent dead-of-winter color change:

The depth! And the wisps, the lips! I have no idea if this was a pro job or a box color, but I want it to be the latter, because I love the thought that you went out to get pre-storm supplies like milk and cereal and whatever your not-at-all-cranky kid might need, but then, there on the shelf sat Miss Clairol in Hot Caramel, or something, and you went for it, and came home and did this instead of making dinner, and stained the new sink in the process, and everybody got mad, but for God’s sake did you feel good. And warm. And not just from the ammonia and the plastic cap wrapped around your head. Carrie, please keep doing this kind of thing, and then who knows.

For we are no Circus World. But we do have several types of box color in our drugstores, and a disproportionate number of artists passionately devoted to making nowhere into somewhere, and deep appreciation for people who try new shades and take risks and wail.

Hey, the Mankato Magazine story that prompted these makeovers is now posted! The issue also features a piece by Rachael Hanel, who introduced Carrie and me. Oh this town.